By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Both sides of the war in southeastern Ukraina appear to be violating the ceasefire around Donetsk and Mariupol, according to Russian and English language military news reports.
According to a news account which appeared in the pro Russian Voice of Sevastopol, Ukrainian artillery units have been firing on targets in the city of Donetsk and outside of the port city of Mariupol.
Reports are that artillery strikes were recorded in Makeevka, Spartak and at the Donetsk airport, in the northern sector of the city. Donetsk Defense Minister Vladimir Kononov announced that if Ukrainian artillery did not stop, he would order counterbattery fire.
According to Donetsk officials, a Ukrainian diversionary unit has been operating inside of the city, about three kilometers from Avdotyino district.
In Mariupol, Ukrainian artillery fire has been recorded coming out of the city and hitting outlying settlements, including the village of Shirokino and in the Vostochny district.
Meanwhile, pro Ukrainian news reports say pro Russian militia are trying to regroup and resupply to continue their offensives, stalled since the start of the ceasefire five days ago.
According to Ukrainian military blogger Roman Burko, pro Russian militia have been shelling towns north of Donetsk, specifically Dzerzhinsk, with the artillery fire coming from Zhdanovka. Ten days ago a Ukrainian armored group took Zhdanovka by storm, but was forced out by militia artillery fire. Mostly in the north, according to Burko things are quiet.
Ukrainians expect some militia activity will resume once the truce ends, widely expected to end after the October elections.
Following a tactical defeat in Mariupol, pro Russian militias, characterized as Russian are concentrating in Novoazovsk for resting and resupply. Militia diversionary groups are said to be inside Mariupol conducting ground strikes in the city. Some of those attacks are to the west from where supplies can be shipped in to Ukrainian forces in the city.
The Burko report admitted that Ukrainian forces recently took Telmanove, a town north of Mariupol which had previously been in pro Russian militia hands.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com